From Briggs, N. - Neil - to suse-linux-e@suse.com about RE: [SLE] Linux...:
dieter,
Thanks for you kind response. R U saying that if I install xv (package or series) the netscape will work. I will give that a try. Perhaps I should The image viewing in netscape will work. (xv is a package from the pay series, shareware for commercial use) I also suggest upgrading your kde2 packages. The konqueror I use works great. A lot of people also are very happy with the mozilla 0.9.1 browser.
have asked more questions here. I thought this board was for the SUSE distro not other products such as db2. From the moment you're trying to install it on SuSE, it's on topic. :)
I am a newbie and was put off posting because alot of what was written here went over my head. If anybody has got DB2 working under suse linux I would be very grateful if somebody could offer help/advice.
Many thanks Neil
-----Original Message----- From: dieter [mailto:dieter@FreeBSD.rave.org] Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 3:08 PM To: Briggs, N. - Neil - Cc: SuSE Q&A Subject: Re: [SLE] Linux newbie thoughts ....
It is true that, when you're new to linux, you have to spend some/a lot of time to begin working with it, depending of what you want to do with it. But once you're getting used to it, you begin to start feeling how to let things work. It took me about 1 year and a half to switch completely from windows to linux, the last 9 months of that period I used Windows solely for games.
I know that people, especialy when they come from a Windows environment, want things to work right out of the box. But a lot of linux things don't even have a box (yet). Mainly because too many companies don't want to spend too much money on linux bcause, although the market is growing, it is still small.
So patience and some rtfm is required. The konqueror you used wasn't probably the latest version, one thing you can't say about linux(-programs) is that the bugs don't get fixed. The rest of your browser issues were probably configuration stuff. The xv error for example is just because netscapes preferences were set to display images with the xv imageviewer which you probably had not installed. The rest of your problems were probably installation issues already solved by somebody on the list. If you would have asked here (The only post in the archives from you I could find was from April?) maybe your company was using linux now.
Linux might not always seem as user friendly as windows but it is catching up. Just a little more patience is required. And, to be honest, I find linux already user friendlier than Windows. I have seen errors too, but there was always an explanation and mostly a cure for it. Unlike Windows which somteimes seems to generate errors randomly.
regards,
From Briggs, N. - Neil - to suse-linux-e@suse.com about [SLE] Linux newbie...:
Dear List members
I just thought that I would post some of my thoughts after struggling with Linux for the last couple of months. The reason for giving linux a go came as a request from my manager as we thought it would be ideal for some of our computing requirements, cost I believe was the major issue here.
So SUSE 7.1 professional was purchased and installed on a HP vectra machine. Installation was straight forward and connection to the network a zip. Well straight forward, hmmm, the sound card is not configured, a generic driver was automatically selected for the video card. I tried install the correct driver for the g450 card. The driver didn't work. So I cannot use the full functionality if the card:-(.
The first thing I tried was surfing the webb using Konquerer. What a pain. Some sites caused the browser to crash (aarrgghh!!), playing movies and streaming sound have proved too difficult to achieve. Installed real player 8 (couldn't get it to work). So I have found linux not very multi media friendly.
I then started to use the Netscape browser instead. Arrgghhh !!!! some webb sites the text is displayed so small you cant read the information. I have tried increasing the font size but to no avail. If I click on an image to display it with the browser I get an error saying that without xv it can't be displayed ?????? I have been unable to connect to chat rooms. I would like to use ICQ but have been unable to get it to work.
So not to be deterred I thought I would try and install some work related software. The first thing I tried was to install IBM's DB2 for linux. I followed the installation process exaclty. Guess what it didn't work. No DB2 very bad.
We do alot of REXX programming here so I thought I would install REXX from the ibm site. Even had the help of a Unix body who knows linux well. We performed the install steps. Guess what - we could'nt get it to work. As an alternative I was given oracle on a cd. Ran the program to perform the install. Guess what it didn't work.
Bought a Linux magazine because it contained Sun Forte for Java. I follow the easy install steps as instructed by the magazine. Ran the executable that was supposed to start the program. All that happened was after pressing enter I saw the prompt again. So guess what it didn't work.
Thought I would give linux one last chance. For fun I decide to install Achilles artificial life program. Downloaded the tar ball. Then went the whole hog of installing SDL (failed couldn't locate the header file ???? I could'nt find these either) continued regardless and tried to install the graphic environment from www.mesa3d.org. Performing the install failed because it could'nt locate the GLUT files ???? Gave up ....
I have now given up on linux. Other than the applications supplied with the SUSE cd I have not been able to install anything successfully. Even some apps installed from the cd don't work. I have read so many manuals and how to's that my head spins. Not knowing what the author is referring to half the time.
At work we have decided not to go ahead with linux, we are finding it just too difficult, frustrating and time consuming. Two days spent trying to install DB2 to have it not work is man hours we can't afford to waste. I will continue to learn about linux and increase what little knowledge I have already. I take some comfort from the fact that somebody who is familiar with linux has not been able to help. So perhaps I am not the idiot I was beginning to think I was. I still have it installed on a second partition and use Linux as more of a hobby machine. The real work stuff is done on windows. With time and a little more knowledge I hope to try linux again as with linux you feel that you are actually getting your fingers dirty.
Sorry for such a long winded vent. I know people here think linux is great, but this has not been my experience. I hope I dont get flamed too much for this email.
Kindest regards Neil
-- dieter